Merit Selection Plan (MSP) Implementation Guidelines for First and Second Level Positions in the BLGF

December 12, 2016

BLGF PSB RESOLUTION NO. 01-16

MERIT SELECTION PLAN (MSP) IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES FOR FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL POSITIONS IN THE BLGF

WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Section 32, Book V of the Administrative Code of 1987 (Executive Order No. 292), Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular No. 3, s. 1979 as amended by CSC Memorandum Circular No. 18, s. 1988 and CSC Memorandum Circular No. 38, s. 1989, as further amended by CSC Memorandum Circular No. 40, s. 1998, CSC Memorandum Circular No. 15, s. 1999, CSC Memorandum Circular No. 8, s. 1999 and CSC Memorandum Circular No. 03, s. 2001, a Merit Selection Plan (MSP) was established for the guidance in the selection of employees for appointment in the BLGF;

WHEREAS, in line with the implementation of the approved Rationalization Plan of the BLGF, the Bureau strictly adheres to the principles of merit, fitness and equality in recruitment and selection; thus, the selection of employees shall be based on the qualifications and competence to perform the duties and responsibilities of the position;

NOW, THEREFORE, premises considered, the following for guidelines on promotion and appointment for first and second level positions are hereby prescribed for the uniform and consistent implementation of the BLGF MSP:

A. PURPOSE AND SCOPE. The guidelines herein prescribed shall be consistently applied to implement the BLGF MSP in the comparative evaluation of candidates for promotion, transfer, appointment and other personnel actions of employees of the BLGF Central and Regional Offices.

B. POLICY FRAMEWORK. The approved system-wide MSP of the BLGF serves as the primary basis for the objective, efficient, responsive and expeditious selection of candidates for appointment, promotion and other personnel actions in the BLGF. It serves as the primary policy tool for the assessment of relevant qualifications of candidates to ensure that only the best qualified and most competent are selected and appointed in the BLGF.

C. BASIC PRINCIPLES. The Bureau adheres to the following basic principles:

1. Selection of employees for appointment shall be open to all qualified men and women, and based on the principle of merit and fitness. Equal employment opportunity for qualified men and women at all levels of position shall be guaranteed. CAIHTE

2. Discrimination in any form shall not be allowed nor tolerated in the selection of employees because of an applicant's gender, civil status, disability, religion, ethnicity, or political affiliation.

3. Applicants for vacant positions who are competent, qualified and possess the appropriate civil service eligibility shall be considered for the positions to be filled.

4. All candidates for promotion or appointment shall be screened by the BLGF Personnel Selection Board (PSB).

D. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

1. Appointment to any vacant position in the Central and Regional Offices shall primarily be based on merit and fitness. Thus, notices on vacancies must reach out widely and efficiently to all interested applicants through effective publications and announcements.

2. Whenever a position in the Central and Regional Offices becomes vacant, the officers and employees who occupy the next lower positions within the occupational group under which the vacant position is classified, and in other functionally related occupational groups, and who are competent, qualified and with the appropriate civil service eligibility shall be automatically considered for promotion provided they comply with the abovementioned requisites.

3. The system of ranking positions shall not be confined to the positions existing within the division/unit deemed to be next-in-rank to a higher position but shall include positions in other division/s or unit/s taking into consideration the functional relationship and the salary and/or grade allocation between the higher position in the other divisions/units.

4. In cases where the qualifications of the next-in-rank employees are comparatively at par, preference in ranking shall be given to the employee in the division/unit where the vacancy exists.

5. An employee who has a pending administrative case shall not be disqualified for promotion during the pendency thereof. A pending administrative case shall be construed as follows:

i. Where a prima facie case against the person complained of has been established and the disciplining authority has issued a formal or notice of charge in case the complaint has been initiated by a private person.

ii. If found guilty, he shall be disqualified for promotion for a period based on the penalty imposed as prescribed under Sections 52 and 58 of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.

6. An employee who is on local or foreign scholarship or training grant or on maternity leave may be considered for promotion.

7. For purposes of promotion, the performance rating of the employees for the last two (2) rating periods immediately prior to the scholarship or training grant or period of maternity leave shall be used as the basis for the promotion. Such performance ratings should both be at least Very Satisfactory. If promoted, the effectivity date of the promotional appointment shall be upon actual assumption to duty.

8. To enhance the hiring standards and strengthen the selection process of the BLGF, a background investigation and integrity check shall be conducted to the top five (5) ranking applicants prior to selection of the most qualified for appointment. The results of the background investigation shall be part of the evaluation process.

9. All applicants, after every evaluation stage, shall be notified of the results of the evaluation.

E. POLICIES FOR FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL POSITIONS.

1. Reasonable and valid standards and methods of evaluating the qualifications and competence of all employees competing for recruitment and promotion shall be established and applied fairly and consistently.

2. In upholding the principles of fairness and impartiality in the assessment of candidates and to assist the Bureau in determining the best and most qualified candidates, the PSB may employ the assistance of external or independent resource persons and may initiate innovative schemes for the purpose, as approved by the Bureau head and must be compliant with procurement rules and regulations.

3. Vacant positions shall be published in accordance with Republic Act No. 7041 (Publication Law). The published vacant positions shall also be posted in at least three (3) conspicuous places in the BLGF premises for at least ten (10) calendar days. Other appropriate modes of publication, such as announcements in the BLGF official website, social media and other form of electronic media, shall be considered. DETACa

4. Filling up of vacant positions in the Bureau shall be made after (10) calendar days from their publication. The publication of a vacant position shall be valid until filled up, but not to extend beyond six (6) months reckoned from the date the vacant position was published.

5. In the issuance of appointments, the requirement for publication is deemed complied with if the process of application and screening started within six (6) months from publication and if the vacancy is filled not later than nine (9) months from date of publication.

6. The Head of Agency, being the appointing authority, shall assess the merits of the recommendation of the PSB in proper form for appointment and in the exercise of sound discretion, select, in so far as practicable, among the top five ranking applicants deemed most qualified for appointment to the vacant position.

F. GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES. To ensure the objective implementation of the MSP and to guarantee undue exercise of discretion at all levels, the following shall be observed:

1. A systematic assessment of the competence and qualifications of candidates for appointment to the corresponding level of positions shall be instituted and observed by the Administrative (Admin) Division/Human Resources (HR) Committee.

2. To comply with the rules on publication, the Chief of Administrative Division/HR Unit shall publish the vacant position in the CSC Bulletin of Vacant Positions or through other modes of publication such as newspaper of general circulation, the BLGF website and other job employment websites, or official BLGF social media accounts, and the same shall be posted in three (3) conspicuous places in the Central and Regional Offices of the Bureau for at least ten (10) calendar days.

3. If the Bureau decides to engage a job employment facility or service provider to assist in the publication of vacancies and in the screening of applicants, the Chief of Administrative Division/HR Unit shall require all applicants to register with the said facility and file their applications online or through the facility's recruitment system, subject to the approval of the BLGF PSB.

4. The Chief of Administrative Division/HR Unit, based on the approved System of Ranking Positions (SRP) and the Personnel Qualification Index of the Bureau, shall identify and validate the qualifications of the next-in-rank employees. All identified next-in-rank and qualified candidates shall be notified accordingly by the Chief of Admin Division.

5. An employee may be promoted or appointed to a vacant position which does not involve an increase of more than three (3) salary grades higher than the employee's current position, except in very meritorious cases, such as, if the vacant position is next-in-rank as identified in the SRP approved by the Bureau head, or the lone or entrance position indicated in the Bureau's staffing pattern or other analogous instances, the candidate passed through deep selection process to determine his/her superior qualifications, when next-in-rank employees waived their right over the vacant position in writing, when the next-in-rank employees are not qualified or did not apply, and other grounds provided for under CSC MC No. 18, s. of 2016 and other relevant pronouncements.

6. All candidates shall submit the required documents within the prescribed period.

7. A preliminary evaluation of the qualification of all candidates shall be conducted by the Admin Division/HR Committee. Preliminary evaluation will determine if the applicant meets the minimum requirement of the position.

8. After the preliminary evaluation, the Chief of the Administrative Division/HR Unit and the concerned division chief of the organizational unit where the vacancy is located shall prepare a selection line-up and submit to the concerned division chief of the organizational unit where the vacancy is located.

9. The selection line-up shall reflect the comparative competence and qualification of candidates based on:

i. Performance.

a. For appointment by promotion, the performance rating of the appointee for the rating period prior to the effectivity date of the appointment should be at least Very Satisfactory. aDSIHc

b. For appointment by transfer, the performance rating for the last rating period immediately preceding the transfer from the former office or agency should be at least Very Satisfactory.

ii. Education and Training. This includes educational background, successful completion of relevant training courses, scholarships, training grants and others which must be relevant to the duties of the position to be filled.

iii. Experience and Outstanding Accomplishments. This includes employment history, relevant professional or work experience acquired either from the government or private sector, and accomplishments worthy of special commendation.

iv. Psycho-Social Attributes and Personality Traits. This refers to the characteristics or traits of a person which involve both psychological and social aspects. Psychological traits include the way he/she perceives things, ideas, beliefs and understanding and how he/she acts and relates these things to others and in social situations. Personality traits pertain to a person's pattern of thoughts and behaviors, and demonstration of feelings or attitude.

v. Potential. This refers to the capacity and ability of a candidate to assume the duties of the position to be filled and those of higher or more responsible positions.

10. The Admin Division/HR Unit shall notify applicants who were initially found qualified to undergo further assessment. Those found not qualified shall likewise be notified of the result of the evaluation.

11. The background investigation and integrity check shall be thoroughly done by the Admin Division/HR Committee, through a system that the PSB shall approve, which shall include the checking of applicable pertinent documents and a validation of submitted information, including but not limited to the following:

i. Clearances from Ombudsman, NBI, and CSC;

ii. Clearance of the immediate previous employer or government clearance on property and accountability;

iii. Copy of latest appointment, certificate of employment of previous employer, latest contract of service, etc.;

iv. Certificate of no pending administrative case for government employees;

v. SALN for the last three years for government employees;

vi. ITR for the last three years for private individuals; and

vii. Validation with at least one referee submitted by the applicant.

12. A thorough evaluation and deliberation on the qualifications of those listed in the selection line-up shall be conducted by the PSB. The Admin Division/HR Committee shall submit the selection line-up to the PSB for deliberation. However, the following positions shall no longer be screened by the PSB and shall only be processed by the Admin Division/HR Unit:

i. Substitute appointment due to their short duration and emergency nature; unless it will be filled by a regular appointment, in which candidates shall be screened and passed upon by the PSB;

ii. Appointment to entry laborer positions;

iii. Appointment to personal and primarily confidential positions;

iv. Renewal of temporary appointment issued to the incumbent personnel; and

v. Outsourced/Job Order employees that are subject to COA Rules.

13. Upon completion of all assessments, including the conduct of the background investigation, the Admin Division/Committee Unit shall prepare the final evaluation matrices of all qualified applicants per vacancy. ETHIDa

14. A Resolution indicating the ranking of candidates based on PSB deliberation and Minutes of PSB Meeting shall be prepared by the Secretariat. The PSB shall submit to the appointing authority the list of recommended candidates which shall specify the top five (5) ranking candidates based on the comparative assessments. The appointing authority shall assess the merits of the PSB's recommendation for appointment and, in the exercise of sound discretion, select as far as practicable from among the top five (5) ranking applicants deemed most qualified for appointment to the vacant position.

15. The top five (5) ranking candidates, however, shall be limited to those whose overall point scores are comparatively at par based on the thorough evaluation by the PSB. To determine the candidates who are comparatively at par, the PSB shall set a reasonable cut-off score in the comparative evaluation of candidates for appointment.

16. Upon completion of the abovementioned processes, the following procedures must be observed:

i. The PSB Secretariat shall notify in writing all applicants assessed by the PSB of the results of the evaluation;

ii. The Admin Division/HR Unit shall prepare the appointment papers to be signed in accordance with the BLGF MSP; and

iii. The Admin Division/HR Unit shall post a notice announcing the appointment of an employee in three (3) conspicuous places in the BLGF a day after the issuance of appointment for at least fifteen (15) days. The date of posting shall be indicated in the notice.

G. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND POINT SYSTEM. The criteria and point system that shall be adopted in the evaluation of applicants for promotion and appointment is summarized as follows:

	Evaluation Criteria	Promotion	Transfer	Original
1	Psychometric Exam	5.00	5.00	7.50
2	Performance	20.00	20.00	10.00
3	Education	15.00	15.00	15.00
4	Relevant Training	12.50	12.50	12.50
5	Relevant Work Experience	30.00	30.00	30.00
6	Potential
	Function-Specific Exam	6.25	6.25	10.00
	Behavioral Interview	6.25	6.25	10.00
7	Other Factors	5.00	5.00	5.00
	Total	100.00	100.00	100.00

1. Psychometric Exam. A psychometric examination, composed of tests on cognitive, verbal, aptitude, and logical reasoning skills, personality traits, etc. shall be administered by the Bureau to all qualified candidates. The summary of the results shall be submitted to the PSB for reference evaluation, with the following maximum point system:

Description/Percentile Rating	Promotion (5.00)	Transfer (5.00)	Original (7.50)
Very High (96 and Above)	5.00	5.00	7.50
High (89-95)	4.50	4.50	6.75
Above Average (77-88)	4.00	4.00	6.00
Average (23-76)	3.50	3.50	5.00
Below Average (11-22)	1.25	1.25	3.00
Low (4-10)	.50	.50	2.00
Very Low (Below 4)	.25	.25	1.00

 If applicable, the result of CSC Ethics-Oriented Personality Test shall be used for BLGF employees as an additional reference in the evaluation of personality traits.

2. Performance. Performance evaluation shall be based on the approved agency Strategic Performance Management Systems, in the case of government employees, or other similar performance evaluation system, in the case of private individuals. If the applicant's employment records indicate more than one (1) year of service, the average Performance Rating for the last two (2) rating periods shall be considered. If the service is less than a year, the most immediate prior Performance Rating shall be used. For those who are on scholarship for a period of one (1) year or more, the Performance Rating prior to their scholarship shall be considered. The scale below shall guide the Admin Division/HR Committee in evaluating the candidates for promotion:

IPCR Range/Equivalent Point Score	Promotion (20)	Transfer (20)	Original (10)
4.6-5.0: 5 or Outstanding	20.00	20.00	10.00
4.1-4.5: 4 or Very Satisfactory	15.00	15.00	7.50
Below 4: 3 or Satisfactory; 2 or Unsatisfactory; or 1 or Poor	0.00	0.00	0.00

3. Education. The evaluation of an applicant's educational attainment shall be based on official academic records submitted. The maximum weight shall be 15 points, based on the following: cSEDTC

i. Minimum education requirement for the position per QS: — 10

ii. Additional academic qualifications/considerations:

a. Preferred Bachelor's degree — +2

b. Additional post-graduate studies

b.1 Doctorate Degree — +3

b.2 Master's Degree — +2

b.3 Diploma Course — +1

b. * Non-degree local scholarship — +1.5

c. Relevant trainings in excess of the minimum requirements:

c.1 More than 50 days — +1.5

c.2 26-50 days — +1.0

c.3 11-25 days — +75

c.4 10 days and below — +.5

5. * Relevant Work Experience. The evaluation of an applicant's work experience shall be based on copies of official service record or certificate of employment. The weight shall be 30.00 points, as follows:

i. Minimum relevant work experience requirement per QS: — 15

ii. Additional relevant work experience per year: (not to exceed 5 years or maximum of 10 points) — +2

iii. Experience earned in special committees or TWGs:

As Committee/TWG Head; and/or — +1

As Committee/TWG Member (not exceed 5 points) — +.5

6. Potential. The evaluation of an applicant's potential shall be based of function-specific written examination and results of interview, which shall have an equal point allocation, as follows:

Evaluation Criteria	Promotion	Transfer	Original
Function-Specific Exam	6.25	6.25	10.00
Interview	6.25	6.25	10.00
Total	12.50	12.50	20.00

 The Rating Form and Interview Guide Questions shall be devised by the Admin Division/HR Committee.

7. Other Factors. The following factors shall be considered and given appropriate point allocations not exceeding 5.00 points, as follows:

i. Next-in-rank (per SRP): — +2

ii. Supervisor/Referee's Recommendation: — +1

iii. For every additional Eligibility/Government Exam Passed (not to exceed 2 points) — +1

H. SUPPLETORY EFFECT. The guidelines herein set supplement the BLGF MSP for its effective implementation. All other provisions of the BLGF MSP which are not stated in this resolution shall be binding, implemented and adhered to.

This Resolution supersedes BLGF Office Order No. 37-2015 dated 17 April 2015, BLGF Personnel Selection Board Resolution No. 01, series of 2015. All other orders, memoranda, and issuances inconsistent herewith are hereby modified, revoked or superseded accordingly.

This Resolution takes effect immediately unless revoked sooner.

RECOMMENDING APPROVAL:

(SGD.) LUZ R. LAPIDMember (EA President)

(SGD.) MA. PAMELA P. QUIZONMember

(SGD.) GERIEBETH G. DELA TORREMember

(SGD.) ARMI M. ADVINCULAMember

(SGD.) ENGR. JOSE ARNOLD M. TAN, CESO VMember

(SGD.) ATTY. FLOSIE F. FANLO-TAYAG, CESO IVChairperson

APPROVED BY:

(SGD.) NIÑO RAYMOND B. ALVINAOIC Executive Director